As more and more data becomes available in electronic form, accessing such data electronically is becoming more and more popular. This is particularly true for data that is subject to change, only needs to be used and viewed for a particular situation, or if a user does not want to carry paper or pre-recorded data storage mechanisms (i.e. CDs, DVDs, etc.). Additionally, if data is provided by a fixed-storage means, such as paper or CDs, updates must be sent out periodically, necessitating that distribution information be maintained for each user, physical copies of the paper/CDs be created, and the physical copies be sent to each user. This system is inefficient and not well-suited to situations where data is subject to change or new data will be added to the information source on a frequent basis.
It is desirable to provide users access to electronic information on-demand, from a central source in many cases. This enables document developers to make changes to data in a single location, which can then be accessed by users as needed from that location, thus ensuring that a user can always obtain the latest information. Additionally, it eliminates the need for a user to have to keep data stored on a computer hard drive or keep CDs or DVDs containing information accessible and updated so they have the latest version.
While keeping a single copy of data in a central location that can be accessed by users as needed works well when users can easily and quickly access that data, easy access is not always available. This is particularly true where the user base is geographically scattered, and/or accessing data from various field locations in which high-speed connections to the data source may not be available. This is often seen with field service technicians for various equipment that may be located in a building, or outside, or various other remote areas, and high-speed connections to the data source are not available. Typically, these types of persons need the latest version of data in order to perform a task properly, and thus pre-recorded data storage mechanisms are not well-suited for these uses. It may not be desirable to make such information available on the world-wide web for various reasons, such as corporate security, and thus this would not be a solution either; additionally, access to the internet might not be easily available from various field or remote locations.